The ASO will showcase a new symphonic composition written by a rising star in the classical field, Birmingham native Brian Raphael Nabors, titled Letters from Birmingham, which was commissioned by the ASO in our 2022-2023 season and is dedicated to the City of Birmingham. Nabors is a young composer whose music tells exciting narratives with vibrant themes and colorful harmonic language. With an eclectic musical palate and distinctly tonal compositional technique and style, Nabors’ music draws from combinations of jazz, funk, R&B, and gospel with the modern flair of contemporary classical music. Letters from Birmingham is an entertaining, complex, and triumphant musical exploration of Birmingham’s past and present; an homage to Nabors’ hometown and identity, encapsulating the history, growth, and hope of Birmingham.
The piece has four movements, as follows:
Sloss is named after the most prominent pig-iron blast furnace in the city and turns the orchestra into a working steel factory. Clanging in the percussion section are bells and whistles inspired by the sounds of metalwork that fueled the beginning of one of the largest steel-producing entities in the country.
Tuxedo Junction, from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s, was a two-block area at the intersection of Ensley Avenue and 20th Street on Birmingham's west side which was the hub of nightlife, music, dining, dancing, and shopping for the surrounding predominantly Black communities. This movement captures the rhythms of jazz, swing, and big bands and the fun and vibrant celebration of the historic Junction’s nightlife and dance clubs.
March is a reflection on the civil rights struggle, then and now, and its history in Birmingham. Our city, region, and country would not have made progress without the brave men, women, and many young people who marched, protested, and sacrificed for the betterment of future generations.
The Magic City is a rambunctious finale celebrating the cultural and enduring spirit of our city. It's a sparkling ride to the very end, representing the beauty and hospitality of its people, and the efforts that continue to make Birmingham a wonderful place to live.
Nabors' music has been performed by the Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Fort Worth, and Munich symphony orchestras. He was named a 2019 composer fellow in the American Composer’s Orchestra Earshot program with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; a 2019 composer fellow with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s Composer Lab; and the 2019 grand prize winner of the Rapido! National Composition Contest. Nabors is also a 2020 Fulbright scholarship recipient to Sydney, Australia.
Presenting and professionally recording Brian Raphael Nabors’ new and remarkable composition is an important way for the ASO to align with our mission of advancing the cultural vitality of our state through symphonic performances of the highest standard. Recording will solidify the ASO’s leadership and relevance by actively supporting, promoting, and recognizing a talented young musician, publicly acknowledging the history and social struggles of Birmingham, while also celebrating the vibrant Black culture and influences of Birmingham’s past and present and the brave citizens who have promoted progress in this city.